New Vegetarian Restaurant Vows to Take the Scare Out of Vegan Fare

A familiar restaurant address is getting a new tenant in Fig + Farro at Calhoun Square. Mpls./St. Paul Magazine reports that this new vegetarian restaurant is moving into the space that has been occupied by Parella, Primebar, Il Gato and Figlio. First time restaurant owner Michelle Courtright is tackling the tricky restaurant space at the intersection of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue in Uptown with a vegetarian menu that she hopes to aim at a wide and large audience. Courtright tells the magazine, “One of the goals at Fig + Farro is to make vegetarian food into comfort food, not scary food. Sometimes I feel like vegetarian and vegan are scary words for people.”

Fig + Farro is hiring now and plans to open later this winter.

—Urban Forage Winery and Cider House is finally ready to welcome guests after a year of getting ready to open its doors. Owners Jeff and Gita Zeitler had to make major renovations to the building at 3016 East Lake Street, but as of yesterday, the ciders have been flowing (two for now, with more to follow.) Ciders and wines are made from city-sourced ingredients, hence the name. The taproom is open 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays. A Grand Opening celebration will be held November 17 and 18.

Stray Dog / Website

—Stray Dog has completed its transformation from Bulldog, N.E. Kevin Kraus, the former chef at the burger-centric neighborhood bar bought the place and intends to keep much the same outside of the name change and a few new specials.